Bachelor in Paradise is back and shaking things up for season 10.
During the Monday, March 24, After the Final Rose of The Bachelor, host Jesse Palmer invited Grant Ellis‘ second runner-up, Zoe McGrady, to the beach. (Grant, 31, ultimately popped the question to Juliana Pasquarosa in the season finale.)
Jesse, 46, went on to introduce the first-ever Golden Bachelor in Paradise cast members, Leslie Fhima and Gary Levingston.
“So this is really happening. For the first time ever, Golden men and women will be hitting the beaches of Paradise alongside all of your Bachelor and Bachelorette favorites of seasons past,” Jesse said. “So how is this whole thing going to work? You’re going to have to tune in to find out when an all-new Bachelor in Paradise premieres this summer.”
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The Bachelor spinoff show was renewed by ABC in 2024 after skipping filming for a year. While details about the new season had been underwraps, Jesse teased to Us Weekly that there were ideas “being pitched around” that could involve contestants from the Golden spinoff — and with better conditions.
“I mean, the cast from Gerry [Turner]’s season, the cast from Joan [Vassos]’ season, it’s incredible,” Jesse told Us in 2024. “And as long as it’s not Atlantic City or Naples, Florida — not a retirement place — it has to be a tropical beach. And personally, I think you should have air conditioning.”
He continued, “I know there’s a lot of different stuff sort of in the Bachelor verse that they’re putting into this. It sounds like a lot of the old, and it sounds like there are some new ideas being floated in as well. I’m really excited. I really missed going to the beach this past year.”
Jesse noted that he and bartender Wells Adams “were hanging out a little while ago” and discussing how “stoked” they were to return to the series.
“I can’t wait for that time to come,” Jesse said. “I just hope maybe there’s gonna be some sort of Golden iteration as well.”
Prior to the announcement on Monday, only two previous contestants had been confirmed to be heading to the beach: Jonathan Johnson and Hakeem Moulton. Both cast members appeared on Jenn Tran’s season 21 of The Bachelorette and received an invitation to paradise during the Men Tell All episode in August 2024.
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“I honestly was shook [when they announced it tonight]. I had no expectation. Nobody warned me. I wish they would have so I didn’t just, like, freak out,” Jonathon exclusively told Us at the time. “Because, like, in my mind, I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I would ever do TV again,’ and then Jesse’s like, ‘So, there’s this thing on the beach that you’d be great for.’ And now, I’m just coming out of that mentality of like, I don’t ever want to miss again or hold myself back.”
He continued, “So, you’re sitting there with that mindset, and then somebody has this opportunity where there’s incredible women for you to meet. You’re like, ‘Well s—, OK. I guess I gotta say yes, I’ll be there.’”
Hakeem, who shared he was at a “loss for words,” exclusively told Us that he already has eyes set on one Bachelor Nation member.
“Her name was Olivia Lewis. Last year, she was gorgeous, and I think she didn’t get the proper love that she deserved,” Hakeem said at the time. “I think I have all that love to give to her, and she’s gorgeous, and she has an expressive personality just like me. So, I think I would mesh very well with her.”
